I Give Thee A Rose
by HopelesslyFlawed
Summary: MarluxiaOC She took the rose from him,craddeling it in her arms and admiring it.She then looked up at him,he seemed proud.Didn't he know?A rose wasn't love.Love was something he couldn't give.
1. Lilly Cadawall

I do not own Marluxia or anything in the KH universe, I only own Lilly and her family. Try to go easy on me, Okay? I'm new to all this...

**I Give Thee A Rose**

Lilly Cadawall was the daughter of a botanist. Her mother seemed to know everything about anything that even related remotely to plants, which made sense considering it was her obsession. She'd named her own daughters 'Lilly, Iris, and Daisy'. Still… she had a love and understanding or nature, and she'd tired to instill that love in her children only to have two reject the idea completely and move into that acrid-aired city with their father the second the opportunity presented itself while the third stayed but couldn't indulge. The third was Lily, she was allergic to virtually everything that lay outdoors and couldn't open a window without sneezing insanely or getting a horrible sinus headache.

This was grossly unfortunate for Lilly who loved everything about the outdoors and longed to enjoy it just as everyone else did; without hacking up a lung. Instead, since no medicine found was quite potent enough to really help, she settled on staying in her room, reading constantly making a fuss over the health and happiness of the small pot of pink wild roses she tended to.

It broke her mother's heart to think that her daughter who had such a love for nature couldn't even go sit in the field without her allergies making her absolutely miserable. Lilly was pretty weak and a bit sickly, but she was very resilient; she also didn't care that nearing even the small wild roses she kept disallowed her the privilege of being able to breath out her nose. It certainly failed to stop her from making idle chit-chat with them.

Her mother herself admitted that not even she could make a plant look so fine or do so well, a statement that, when made, made Lilly swell with pride.

Lilly was staring out the window. The book she had been reading drooped lazily in her hands as she'd nearly forgotten she held it. She was staring off into the woods with that longing look of hers. It was spring, and the light whiff of apple blossoms coming from the neighbor's orchard was taking delight in teasing her.

She wanted to go see the trees in bloom up close, not just from the window in the attic. More than anything though, she was lost off in fantasies about there being fairies in the woods, a common thing for her to daydream about even though her sisters constantly nagged her that she was way too old to think such things. Her mom, on the other hand, encouraged her daydreams and still told her stories that even at age seventeen she enjoyed. You could probably say she was a bit childish for that reason.

More than once she had pictured her true love as being a farie boy. A thousand times over she's laid out scenes and scenarios for their first meeting, but none were yet to remotely occur. She'd never seen a farie, probably never would.

She sighed, tossing her book onto the bed beside her and drawing her knees close; she'd finished reading the book long ago anyway. Maybe if she wrapped her scarf over her nose and took her pills she could go down to the orchard? Nah, she'd just end up with a migraine before she reached home, no reason to go out unless it was deemed necessary.

Her eyes rarely even ever left the window unless she was reading or maybe writing a poem. Her mom never really asked a lot of her so she had a lot of free time to daydream. With another heavy sigh, she straightened out her legs and swung them over the bed, flinching a little as they touched the cold wood floor. A cup of tea sounded really good right about now...

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Short, I know…and no Marluxia, but patience is a virtue after all.


	2. Enter, Love Marluxia

Chapter 2: Enter, Love. Marluxia the Graceful Assassin.

Her eyes rarely even ever left the window unless she was reading or maybe writing a poem. Her mom never really asked a lot of her so she had a lot of free time to daydream. With another heavy sigh, she straightened out her legs and swung them over the bed, flinching a little as they touched the cold wood floor. A cup of tea sounded really good right about now… 

She went out into the kitchen to find an already full teapot awaiting her, no doubt courtesy of her mother. Fixing herself a cup, she sat down at the kitchen counter, watching the tea leaves absently as they drifted lazily across the surface if the liquid. What was up with her? There was this strange nagging sensation at the back of her mind, telling her…something.

A long drawn-out sigh escaped her lips and her attention moved to the kitchen window that over looked the rose garden. They weren't yet blooming, but the plants looked much stronger than last year.

Lilly decided to abandon her tea and she went and got dressed. Allergies or no, she was going out to follow the strange feeling. She felt drawn to the woods; more so than usual anyway, and she wanted to see just what it was that seemed to be calling her.

After downing the usual handful of pills and bottle of water, and scribbling down a note for her mother, she left across the field and toward where the large clump of pink dogwoods grew. The feeling she had, the welling up of some unknown feeling in her chest as she neared the forest, reminded her of a story she'd read a long time ago about a princess who had been led to her true love by a magical thread that she had tied around her finger. Lilly felt some force pulling on her as well.

The thick, black scarf she had tied over her mouth and nose was doing its job at least, only a very minor throbbing was nagging at the back of her mind as she pushed away a bit of underbrush so she didn't break the leafy vine that was growing over a the bit of dried bramble. She looked around the dogwood patch, feeling a bit silly because she didn't even know what she was supposed to be looking for. Still, she placed her hand lightly over her fluttering heart, she would know when she found it.

She wandered around, trying to follow the ever so light tugs on her heart she guessed she received when she veered off path. As she came to a small trickling stream she felt the imaginary thread fall slack; apparently this was where she was supposed to be. Keeping her footsteps needlessly light as she walked over the bed of moss and clover that lay over the clearing, she looked around for what had drawn her to this place.

A slight movement and the sound of someone humming a soft tune brought her attention to another being along the streamside. Despite the light air of femininity that surrounded this stranger, she knew it was a man, and one with a very odd hair color. It must have been natural because it didn't carry the unnatural sheen that dyed hair did.

He was turned away from her and apparently unaware of her.

Lilly found her mind stumbling over all the stories about fairies that her mother had told her, and though they led her to a rather outlandish conclusion, she couldn't help but wonder…

"H-Hello?" her voice was quiet and nervous, but having caught the young stranger off-guard, she found herself with a blade pressed against her throat a second later. She swallowed hard, trembling slightly.

His sapphire eyes flashed but calmed in an instant. The weapon disappeared before she was even sure of what it was. It's wielder too started to vanish into some sort of dark portal but her hand shot out and grabbed the sleeve of his cloak of it's own accord. "Wait." she said quickly, her voice still almost inaudibly soft. "Don't leave." Lilly jerked off her scarf, knowing that it was only muffling her voice further. "Please."

He didn't say anything, but he didn't move either, he just watched her.

"What's your name?" Lilly asked desperately, her eyes flying over his face, trying to memorize it.

His blue eyes softened ever so slightly and he gave into the question with little resistance. "Marluxia." he answered.

"Marluxia." Lilly repeated. "Marluxia, I must see you again if you leave now. Will I?" Her grip on his sleeve tightened unconsciously. She received no answer as he pulled out of her grip and disappeared.

Lilly's breathing was heavy, but it was due more to the rush of adrenaline and all manner of emotions flowing over her more than her allergies for once.

Marluxia. His name was Marluxia…


	3. A Second Meeting

Chapter III: A Second Meeting

Lilly had returned from her little excursion with a headache and stinging eyes, but she was too high on that cloud nine feeling to care too much.

A week passed, and despite the protests of both her mother and her own body, she spent her every waking moment prowling the woods and fields in hopes of seeing Marluxia again. She hadn't, but he invaded her every thought and dream, she had to see him again, there was absolutely no questioning the matter.

Sadly, Lilly had never been a strong girl, physically and all the outdoor searching had sent her into one of her spells that kept her in bed with a high fever and a horrible headache. At least her mom wasn't one for 'I-told-you-so's'.

Her mom brought her a tray of tomato soup and crackers. "I'm going into town for a little while, Lilly. Will you be okay without me? Should I call Janice and have her come watch you?"

"I'll be okay mom, thanks."

Her mom nodded, giving her a small hug. "I'll be back soon. Don't go wandering off please." She turned away a little and sighed, "I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but you don't need to go out to the woods for a while."

"Yes, mom."

"Call Janice if you need anything." She added with one last worried glance at her daughter before leaving.

Lilly sighed heavily, putting her lunch on the floor beside the bed; she wasn't very hungry anyway.

"Why are you so desperate to see me?"

Eye's widening with shock and surprise, Lilly turned to meet sapphire eyes. "Marluxia."

"Lilly." He mimicked her-but not in a mocking way-watching her closely.

Lilly realized withdrew under the blankets a little self-consciously.

"Why are you so desperate to see me?" he asked again, "You made yourself sick out there looking for me. Allergies I assume."

Lilly scrambled for an answer but found none so instead changed the subject. "How did you know I was looking for you?"

"I've been watching you." he answered simply.

"And you only decide to show yourself now?"

"At first, it wasn't my intention to allow you to see me again at all."

She looked up at him, hurt faintly evident in her eyes, "Why the change in heart?"

"It was more due to a rise in curiosity."

Lilly sneezed, sending a ripple of pain through her skull. Wincing, she fell back. "I'm glad I got to see you again."

Marluxia watched her closely for a few moments. "Don't go looking for me again."

"Wait, what?"

He opened a portal as he had before and started to leave. "No! Wait a minute! Please, you cant leave." Lilly said quickly.

He paused and relinquished the portal. "Why do you want me to stay so desperately?"

"I I don't know." Lilly admitted, "but please stay just for a little while?"

After what seemed like an eternity, he nodded and sat down in her desk chair.

"Thank you."

"It's nothing."

" Marluxia?" Lilly questioned softly.

"Yes?"

The images of fairies from her mother's stories flashed before her eyes accompanying her burning question. "Are you-" she stopped herself abruptly, blushing in embarrassment. She felt childish and dumb to think such things now. "Never mind."

"These roses," he said, lightly brushing the glossy leaves of the small plant on her desk, "They seem very well cared for."

Lilly felt a swell of pride, but remained modest, "They're not that good, a lot of my mom's wild roses are a lot bigger."

"That may be so, but I'll bet your smaller roses are more vibrant. Good care will do that."

"Do you have a particular interest in plants?" she asked eagerly.

He smiled faintly, "I have my own garden back home."

"really? Do you. . . Do you think I could see it one day?" Lilly asked hopefully.

Marluxia thought for a long moment. ". . . Possibly."

"R-Really? I can't wait!" Lilly cheered with as much energy as she could manage.

"Hm. . . You remind me of someone." Marluxia mused.

The younger girl cut her cheers short and titled her head to the side questioningly. "Who?"

"His. . . My sister." He answered slowly. Lilly didn't press the matter, sensing that she shouldn't, and instead lightened the conversation.

"What's your favorite color?"


	4. Trust

THIS CHAPTER IS A BIT SHOTTY! The next one will be way better. SORRY GUYS!

Also, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to _.Deep.Within.Darkness._

Chapter IV: Trust

Marluxia and Lilly now spoke often, at the very least, whenever her mother was out. They would take short walks, on which they would chat about mundane things, or she would listen to him vent his frustrations which were cause by the other eleven people he apparently lived with. Most commonly he would rant about a boy named Axel who Lilly was disgusted to hear made fun of Marluxia and his hobbies quite frequently.

Though Lilly thought they were being pretty careful, a certain change in Lilly herself did not go unnoticed by her mother. Her daughter seemed… well, happier.

"That Demyx, I'll kill him…" Marluxia muttered darkly as he stepped out of his darkness portal and into Lilly's room.

The girl laughed lightly; she always thought he looked kind of funny when he was upset. "What's wrong, Mar-kun?"

"It's nothing, Demyx is just an idiot."

Demyx, Xaldin, Xemnas, Zexion, Vexen, he never said much about anyone but Axel. Whenever Lilly asked anything related to his home, he would evade the question. All the information she got out of him was volunteered. Because of this, all she really knew about the others was their names and some odd personality quirks.

He scowled, making her giggle a bit more loudly. "So…what have you been doing while I was away?"

Lilly shrugged, "Not a lot, I had to go to the city because Doctor Simmons wanted to run some new tests."

He sat down next to her on the bed, resting his hand over hers, and sighed. He was quiet for a long while, and she let him be without complaint, just being in his presence made her content. She admired the face she had already memorized, not noticing the minutes ticking away because for her, when she was with him, time was nonexistent.

"Lilly…" he started slowly.

"Hmm?"

"If something…bad happened here, to this place, and I asked you to come away with me. Would you trust me enough to leave this behind if I said you had to?"

Lilly stared at him for a long while, eyes wide with no smile on her lips. They'd never spoken of anything with true depth, and this… this question, had hit her with shocking force. "I………" she considered it heavily, "I…Yes." There really seemed to be no question, she trusted him to no end. Trusted him with her life; he'd given her no reason not to.

"Then you have to."

"What?!"

He put his hands on her shoulders, making sure they faced fully. "You have to leave with me if you want to live. This world does not have much time."

His voice sounded urgent and worried, but his eyes held close to nothing. Was he faking worry?

Lilly narrowed her eyes some, "What are you talking about? Nothings going to happen."

"Lilly, you have to listen to me. You said you'd trust me."

"Well... Yeah, but I didn't think…" She shook her head as if to clear it, but Marluxia cut her off before she could speak.

"So what, you lied?" he demanded, his features growing angry, yet his eyes stayed the same. "So you don't trust me?"

This was all too confusing, all too overwhelming. It was offal, he'd just…. Sprung this on her. "You don't understand, I can't just-"

"No, I think I understand perfectly." He pushed her away roughly, and stood, opening one of his black portals. "Goodbye."


End file.
